Iowa City Human Rights Commission votes to cosign statewide Human Rights Day op-ed after discussion, one abstention

The Iowa City Human Rights Commission voted to approve cosigning a draft op-ed for Human Rights Day, recording five votes in favor and one abstention.

The vote, approved as a motion to have the commission sign as a body, followed discussion about whether individual commissioners could choose to sign separately and whether the commission should specify the exact draft text being endorsed. Commissioner (speaker 7) made the motion and Commissioner (speaker 8) seconded it; the chair called the vote and confirmed the tally as five yes, one abstention.

Why it matters: the op-ed, drafted by Bethany Snyder (chair of the Urbandale Civil Rights Commission), was intended for the Des Moines Register and distribution to local outlets to mark Dec. 10 — International Human Rights Day and the anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Commissioners said an official commission signature would signal Iowa City’s institutional support for the UN document and the importance of human-rights protections locally.

During discussion, one commissioner identified a conscientious objection to language they said implied recognition of more than two genders while stating they nonetheless support equal rights in practice. Commissioner Cadore explained the objection as grounded in their religious beliefs, saying in part, “In Islam, we believe that God has created you into a man and a woman,” and that phrasing implying additional gender categories made them unable to add their signature, though they said they support rights to housing, employment and health care for all.

Other commissioners and staff responded by noting that an individual abstention would not prevent the commission from signing as a body and suggested practical ways to record which draft text was approved (for example, noting the date of the draft to avoid later unexpected edits). Several commissioners said individual members could also sign personally in addition to a commission-level sign-on. The chair framed the op-ed as an institutional endorsement of the UN declaration.

The motion carried. The chair confirmed the vote tally. The commission directed staff to proceed with the signed submission as approved.

Next steps: the op-ed is slated for submission around Dec. 10 and commissioners discussed distributing it to the Des Moines Register, the Press Citizen and the Daily Iowan. Staff will confirm and circulate the exact version of the draft being submitted.